Reyna Grande
Award-Winning Author & Former Undocumented Immigrant
Reyna Grande is an author, speaker, educator, and event coordinator. Born in Mexico, Reyna was two years old when her father left for the U.S. to find work. Her mother followed him north two years later, leaving Reyna and her siblings behind. In 1985, when Reyna was only ten, she left Mexico to join her parents, entering the U.S. as an undocumented immigrant. Once in the U.S, Reyna went on to become the first person in her family to graduate from college.
Her first novel, Across a Hundred Mountains, received a 2010 Latino Books Into Movies Award, a 2007 American Book Award, and the 2006 El Premio Aztlan Literary Award. It was also chosen by Eastern Connecticut as its 2007 “One Book/One Region” selection, and in 2010, the city of Watsonville, CA selected it for their “On the Same Page” community reads program. Reyna’s second novel, Dancing with Butterflies, was also critically received and was the recipient of a 2010 International Latino Book Award. Both novels continue to be widely read in schools throughout the country, and have remained book club favorites.
Reyna is also an active promoter of Latino literature and in 2009 and 20010 she acted as a program coordinator for the Latino book and Family Festival. In her spare time, Reyna serves as a literary judge for awards such as the Pen USA Literary Awards, and the El Premio Aztlán, and also conducts creative writing workshops in her community. When she is not writing or teaching, Reyna enjoys speaking at libraries, festivals, conferences, high schools, and universities across the country.
Reyna holds a B.A. in creative writing and film & video from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and received her M.F.A. in creative writing from Antioch University. Her highly anticipated memoir which recounts story of her childhood both in Mexico and in the US will be published in the fall of 2012.
Interested in booking Reyna Grande to speak at your next event?
Her first novel, Across a Hundred Mountains, received a 2010 Latino Books Into Movies Award, a 2007 American Book Award, and the 2006 El Premio Aztlan Literary Award. It was also chosen by Eastern Connecticut as its 2007 “One Book/One Region” selection, and in 2010, the city of Watsonville, CA selected it for their “On the Same Page” community reads program. Reyna’s second novel, Dancing with Butterflies, was also critically received and was the recipient of a 2010 International Latino Book Award. Both novels continue to be widely read in schools throughout the country, and have remained book club favorites.
Reyna is also an active promoter of Latino literature and in 2009 and 20010 she acted as a program coordinator for the Latino book and Family Festival. In her spare time, Reyna serves as a literary judge for awards such as the Pen USA Literary Awards, and the El Premio Aztlán, and also conducts creative writing workshops in her community. When she is not writing or teaching, Reyna enjoys speaking at libraries, festivals, conferences, high schools, and universities across the country.
Reyna holds a B.A. in creative writing and film & video from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and received her M.F.A. in creative writing from Antioch University. Her highly anticipated memoir which recounts story of her childhood both in Mexico and in the US will be published in the fall of 2012.
Interested in booking Reyna Grande to speak at your next event?
Contact Simon & Schuster Speakers Bureau.
(866) 248-3049
info@simonspeakers.com
- Crossing Mountains: A Journey from Undocumented Immigrant to Award-winning Author
- Chicano / Latino Literature
- The Teacher Who Changed My Life
